Recruiting Nephrologists Early

Bhalla says that in the past 10 years, an explosion of new therapies has emerged for CKD. Multiple new drugs for treating the disease are now available, and amazing insights are revealing how those drugs can manage or even cure CKD. These developments, combined with the current nationwide epidemics of diabetes and obesity, have triggered a need for more nephrologists who can treat the 37 million Americans who have CKD, many of whom are ethnic minorities. 

The 10-week program has three components: a research project, a lecture series, and professional development. Each summer includes twice-weekly lectures with nephrology, urology, and hematology faculty members, covering topics in clinical care and research. Additional activities include professional development seminars, social events, and a poster symposium at Stanford and at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which provides funding for the program.

Despite the need for more nephrologists, the field of nephrology has suffered an image problem. The subspecialty has been perceived as somewhat stale and stodgy, with limited therapies available for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and a scant research pipeline.

“By the time they enter medical school, many students already know what area of study they intend to pursue, such as cardiology, oncology, or general surgery,” says Vivek Bhalla, MD, associate professor of nephrology and director of the Stanford Hypertension Center. “Early exposure to the field of nephrology is crucial to attract more practitioners and researchers to this dynamic subspecialty, and that is exactly what our initiative is designed to do,” says Bhalla, who is co-director of the Pre-Renal Initiative, a summer research program for undergraduate college students aimed at attracting trainees to the field of nephrology.

Enter the Pre-Renal Initiative

The Pre-Renal Initiative was founded in 2019 to develop an interest in nephrology by planting a seed at the undergraduate level, especially among the very minority and underrepresented populations most affected by CKD. Through this outreach and recruitment effort, Stanford is creating the potential for a clearer path to this subspecialty for those who may not have considered it previously.

Students are recruited through the initiative’s website and social media accounts, as well as with campus outreach at local universities and student groups using targeted emails and virtual talks.

The initiative includes the subspecialties of urology and benign hematology — related areas of study that also need to draw attention as potential career choices.

Bhalla says that in the past 10 years, an explosion of new therapies has emerged for CKD. Multiple new drugs for treating the disease are now available, and amazing insights are revealing how those drugs can manage or even cure CKD. These developments, combined with the current nationwide epidemics of diabetes and obesity, have triggered a need for more nephrologists who can treat the 37 million Americans who have CKD, many of whom are ethnic minorities. 

The 10-week program has three components: a research project, a lecture series, and professional development. Each summer includes twice-weekly lectures with nephrology, urology, and hematology faculty members, covering topics in clinical care and research. Additional activities include professional development seminars, social events, and a poster symposium at Stanford and at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which provides funding for the program.

Glenn M. Chertow, MD, is proud of the initiative’s success in “fostering the interests of women and other underrepresented groups into medicine, nephrology, and urology.” Dr. Chertow is a former division chief of nephrology and is currently associate chair of fellowship programs in the Department of Medicine.